After World War II ended in the Pacific, anthropologists described up to several hundred semi-religious organizations that had sprung up in New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, Fiji and Vanuatu. Called “cargo cults,” these believers sought ways to continue delivery of wartime goods and supplies. HPR’s Noe Tanigawa reports on a Hawai‘i International Film Festival showing that focuses on what could be the last surviving cargo cult.

“Waiting for John” screens Thursday, November 19 at 3:45pm as part of the Hawai‘i International Film Festival.

Hawai‘i movie audiences have a reputation for being knowledgeable, with an appetite for films that has been cultivated by the Hawai‘i International Film Festival over the past 35 years. HPR’s Noe Tanigawa reports that this year, an effort has begun to develop local critics and writers who can help shape and expand the film scene in the islands.